Electrically-operated musical instrument.



D. W. BARTON.

. ELECTRICALLY OPERATED MUSICAL INSTRUIMENT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I6 'I9I6- 1,298,864. Patented Apr. 1,1919.

` I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

di, //mbgm ATTHNLYE D. W. BARTON.

ELEcTRlc/ILLY OPI-:RATED MUSICAL |NSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16. 1916.

Patented Apr. 1,1919.

` 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 ATTO HNE YE UNITED sTATEs PATENToFFio-E. y

DANIEL W. BARTON, 0F OSHKOSH,WISCON"SIN.-

ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED MUSICAL STRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

Application led September 16, 1916. Serial No. 120,455.

` electrically operated musical instruments.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide anelectrically operated musical instrument whichimay be played by a person not a musician without Producing discordant. sounds. v

A'further object of the invention is to provide an electrically operated musical instrument in which a person unskilled in music may produce a great variety of dilerent musical sounds and harmonious tones.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrically operated musical instrument having a keyboard vportion spaced yfrom the instrument proper and connected -thereto by a flexible connector toA permit the keyboard -to be placed where desired.

A further object of the invention is to prol vide-f an electrically operated musical instrument in which the units of the tone producing portion or instrument proper, are tuned with relation to each otherain thirds, ifths and octaves so that the actuation of any .combination of units will'produce harmonious chords and thus prevent discords.

A further obj ect ofthe invention is'to provide an electrically 'operated musical instrument which yis more particularly although not solely, adapted for automobile 4use,` and is provided with means for easy and convenient attachment thereto.

A further object-of the invention is to provide an electrically actuated and manually controlled` musical instrument of the Xylophone type which is of simple' construction, is strong and durable and is well adapted for the purpose described. l

Wi l1 the above and other objects in View the linvention consists of the improved elecinstrument.

trically operated musicalinstrument and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Figure l is a side view of the improved electrically operated musical instrument, the casing being shown in section and the electrical connections being shown partly in diagrammatic form;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the opposite Aside of the instrument disconnected fromk the key board;.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the instrument taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the keyboard; and

Fig. 5 is a vdiagrammatic View of the elec` trical connections.

lReferring to the drawings the numeral 8 indicates 'the musical instrument proper, 9 the casing thereof, 10 the cover and 11 the keyboard for controlling the playing of the erably comprises a plurality of sound-producing uni-ts 12 of the Xylophone type but may be formed of any other sound-producing devices desired. The units 12 consist of vertically extending steel Xylophone bars 13 -mounted in front of resonators 13 which in turn are mounted upon a transverse supporting 'bar 14. Cushioning means or pads 15 are interposed between'the resonators and the cross bar and the casing in order to prevent discordant tones from th units. Tubes w16 forming .part of the reson tors are closed `at their outer ends and some of said tubes 1areprovided with extension tubes 17 togive the desired tone. o

Thesteel bars 13 are loosely mounted on the resonators by' cushionedfscrews 18 which extend through openings 19 adjacent the upper ends of the bars. nThe lower ends of the bars are loosely engaged by angular rubber covered pins 2O which maintain the bars in operative position. y

Cushions 21 spae the steel Ibars 13 from the board 13.

Each resonator 13 is provided with an The musical instrument pret.

upwardly extendingv arm 22 on which is mounted an electromagnet 23 havmg a v1- brating armature 24 provided with a hammer 25. The hammer extendsv to a position to engage its respective Xylophone bar 13 so that when the hammer is vibrated by the arma-ture the bar will be struck and a musical sound produced. The casing 9 is provided' with a plurality of apertures 9 to permit the free passage 0f sound from-the 'casing'.

The electromagnets may be of any form desired but are preferably of the double coil type as shown and are controlled by the keyboard 11. v

The keyboard 11 comprises a base board 26 having upstanding eyed members 2 7 through which extends a rod 28. Keys 29 pivotally mounted at their rear ends on the rod 28 are provided at their front end portions with downwardly projecting screws 30 which extend through elongated openings 31 of a perforated plate 31 mounted on the base board kand also through small washers 32 resting on the late. The heads 30 of the screws are of arger -diameter than the openings throughwhich the screws extend and serve as stops to limit the upward swing of the keys. Coiled springs 33 surrounding the screws 30 and interposed between kthe keys 29 and the washers 32 and the plate 31 maintain the fkeys yieldingly in their uppermost position. Washers 34 surrounding the coiled springs and interposed between the keys and the plate limit the downward swing of the keys.

While any number of keys may be used, seven keys are preferably used for controlling the five musical units C, E, G, octave C, and octave E, 12 shown. Contact buttons 35 mounted on the base board, one beneath each of the first five keys, starting at the left, are connected by circuit wires 36 with the respective electromagnets 23 they are adapted to control. The electromagnets are kalso connected to the common return wire 37 and the rod 2-8 to which the keys 29 are connected. The keys 29 are connected to the rod 28 b y eyed metal strips 40'which extend to positions beneath .the keys to electrically engage the contact buttons 35 when the keys are depressed and thus form electrical cony nections'with their respective electromagnets.

Beneath each of the last two keys 29 and 30 are positioned four contact buttons 41 and 42 which are connected to the electromagnets preferably in the combinations shown although other combinations may be used. In the present structure the tones C, E, Gr, octave C, and octave E are employed. The tones are all in proper musical relation with each other i-n all combinations in which they may be played. As shown the seventh 0r last key 29 isconnected to four of the tones C, E, Gr, C, which when pressed gives the C chord; the second last key 29 is connected to four ltones E, G, C and E to give the C chord and its inversions. When these'Y two keys are pressed atthe same time, the result is two Cs in octaves, two Es. in octaves and G, giving an entirely different musical result. One of the keys is connected to C, one to E, one to Gr, one to octave C,

and one'to octave E.

Thekeyboard 11 is preferably provided with a clamping means 43 for attaching the board to an automobile part, for instance the steering column to permit convenient playing thereof.

'It will ,thus be seen that a person with no knowledge whatsoever of music, may at will I play a great number of musical tones, chords and bugle calls, and that it will be impossible to make a discord. In the present structure the tones used are the same as used in all regulation bugle calls so that the instrument is adapted tobe used by a person with 'musical talent if desired.

It is to be understood that the tones need plurality1 of sound producing units arrangedV in proper musical relation with each other in all combinations in which they may be played to produce only harmonious sounds when a plurality of the units are electrically vibrated, and means distant from the 'units for controlling the actu-ation of the units.-

2. A musical instrument, comprising a plurality of electrically actuated sound producing units arranged in proper musical relation with each other in all combinations in which they may be played to produce only harmonious sounds when a plurality of the units are actuated, a keyboard distant from the units for controlling the continuous vibra.- tion of said units, and an electric circuit including a source of electrical current in Vwhich the keyboard and the sound producing units are included., f

.3. musical instrument, comprising a plurality of electrically actuated soun'dproducing units arranged in proper musical relation with each other in all combinations in which they may be played to produce only harmonious sounds When a plurality of the units are actuated,' electromagnetic means for vibrating the units, a keyboard for controlling tlie actuation of said units, said key'- board having a plurality of keys some of which control individual units and others of which control a plurality of units, said units `when actuated causing a continuous harmonious sound, and an electric circuit including, a source of electrical current in which the keyboard and the electromagnetic means are included.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature.

DANIEL W. BARTON. 

